Question 1

Which of the following is not a possible solution to the Fermi Paradox?

Accepted Answer

A) We are the only intelligent civilization to have ever arisen in the Milky Way. 
B) There is a galactic civilization, but it is being actively hidden from us. 
C) There is a galactic civilization, but we are currently unable to detect or recognize it. 
D) Given the current age of our galaxy, there has not been enough time for a galactic civilization to develop. 
E) Of all of the intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way, none has chosen to create a galactic civilization. 
A) We are the only intelligent civilization to have ever arisen in the Milky Way. 
B) There is a galactic civilization, but it is being actively hidden from us. 
C) There is a galactic civilization, but we are currently unable to detect or recognize it. 
D) Given the current age of our galaxy, there has not been enough time for a galactic civilization to develop. 
E) Of all of the intelligent civilizations in the Milky Way, none has chosen to create a galactic civilization.

Question 2

Why do some scientists think that Jupiter's existence may have been critical for life to evolve on Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) It kicked out many comets from the inner solar system through gravitational encounters, thus ending the heavy bombardment phase of the solar system. 
B) It prevented the Earth from migrating outward and thus ensured a stable climate. 
C) Meteorites from Jupiter may have contained the bacteria that started life on Earth. 
D) It stabilized the Earth's axis tilt and thus ensured a stable climate. 
E) It prevented the Earth from migrating inward and thus ensured a stable climate. 
A) It kicked out many comets from the inner solar system through gravitational encounters, thus ending the heavy bombardment phase of the solar system. 
B) It prevented the Earth from migrating outward and thus ensured a stable climate. 
C) Meteorites from Jupiter may have contained the bacteria that started life on Earth. 
D) It stabilized the Earth's axis tilt and thus ensured a stable climate. 
E) It prevented the Earth from migrating inward and thus ensured a stable climate.

Question 3

What evidence suggests that life was common on Earth within a billion years of its formation?

Accepted Answer

A) Life must have formed early in order to produce the variety of lifeforms seen today. 
B) rocks older than 3.85 billion years with the carbon- 12 to carbon- 13 ratio typical of living organisms 
C) 3)5 billion year old rock structures formed by microbes called stromatolites 
D) A and C 
E) B and C 
A) Life must have formed early in order to produce the variety of lifeforms seen today. 
B) rocks older than 3.85 billion years with the carbon- 12 to carbon- 13 ratio typical of living organisms 
C) 3)5 billion year old rock structures formed by microbes called stromatolites 
D) A and C 
E) B and C

Question 4

When we analyze whether a world is a possible home to life, the key thing we look for is .

Accepted Answer

A) the presence of organic molecules such as amino acids 
B) the past or present existence of liquid water 
C) surface coloration changes that could indicate vegetative growth 
D) evidence of atmospheric oxygen 
A) the presence of organic molecules such as amino acids 
B) the past or present existence of liquid water 
C) surface coloration changes that could indicate vegetative growth 
D) evidence of atmospheric oxygen

Question 5

Why might the presence of a giant planet be both good and bad for life on a terrestrial planet in another solar system?

Accepted Answer

A giant planet can "kick" comets out of

Question 6

What is the Fermi Paradox?

Accepted Answer

A) Reasonable assumptions predict that a galactic civilization should have already arisen in the Milky Way. Yet, we have absolutely no evidence for it. 
B) Galactic civilizations, like ours, seem forbidden by the laws of physics. 
C) Interstellar travel is possible yet would take an infinite amount of time because of relativistic time- dilation. 
D) We would be unable to detect an Earth- like planet even at a distance of a few light years. 
E) The Drake equation predicts that there should be no intelligent life in the Milky Way. Yet, we exist. 
A) Reasonable assumptions predict that a galactic civilization should have already arisen in the Milky Way. Yet, we have absolutely no evidence for it. 
B) Galactic civilizations, like ours, seem forbidden by the laws of physics. 
C) Interstellar travel is possible yet would take an infinite amount of time because of relativistic time- dilation. 
D) We would be unable to detect an Earth- like planet even at a distance of a few light years. 
E) The Drake equation predicts that there should be no intelligent life in the Milky Way. Yet, we exist.

Question 7

Briefly summarize current knowledge about the term NHP in the equation Number of Civilizations = NHP × flife × fcivilization × fnow.

Accepted Answer

NHP is the number of planets in the Milk

Question 8

We have sent several spacecraft on trajectories that will ultimately take them into interstellar space (Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, New Horizons). How long will it take these spacecraft to travel as far as the nearest stars?

Accepted Answer

A) a few hundred years 
B) tens of thousands of years 
C) never, because they will rust and fall apart 
D) about a thousand years 
E) a few decades 
A) a few hundred years 
B) tens of thousands of years 
C) never, because they will rust and fall apart 
D) about a thousand years 
E) a few decades

Question 9

How did oxygen (O₂)get into Earth's atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) It was outgassed from volcanoes. 
B) It was captured from the solar nebula. 
C) It came from chemical reactions with surface rocks. 
D) It was released by life through the process of photosynthesis. 
A) It was outgassed from volcanoes. 
B) It was captured from the solar nebula. 
C) It came from chemical reactions with surface rocks. 
D) It was released by life through the process of photosynthesis.

Question 10

Why are fossils of early life on Earth rarer than fossils of plants and animals from the past few hundred million years?

Accepted Answer

A) Life was far less abundant prior to a few hundred million years ago. 
B) Fossils could not form before there was oxygen in the atmosphere. 
C) Early organisms were microscopic and lacked skeletons and other hard structures that are most likely to be fossilized. 
D) We find fossils in sedimentary layers, and no sediments were deposited until just a few hundred million years ago. 
A) Life was far less abundant prior to a few hundred million years ago. 
B) Fossils could not form before there was oxygen in the atmosphere. 
C) Early organisms were microscopic and lacked skeletons and other hard structures that are most likely to be fossilized. 
D) We find fossils in sedimentary layers, and no sediments were deposited until just a few hundred million years ago.

Question 11

Where have scientists begun an active search for life beyond the Earth?

Accepted Answer

A) Venus 
B) the Moon 
C) Mars 
D) Titan 
E) Europa 
A) Venus 
B) the Moon 
C) Mars 
D) Titan 
E) Europa

Question 12

There is good evidence that life on Earth was thriving prior to 3.85 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 13

Nearly all of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere was originally produced by photosynthesis in the leaves of trees that covered the continents 3.5 billion years ago.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 14

One idea for interstellar spacecraft involves harnessing energy from nuclear bombs detonated in space.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

In general, how does the size and location of a star's habitable zone depend on the star's mass?

Accepted Answer

A) The smaller (less massive)the star, the smaller and the closer- in the habitable zone. 
B) The smaller (less massive)the star, the larger and the closer- in the habitable zone. 
C) The smaller (less massive)the star, the larger and the farther- out the habitable zone. 
D) The habitable zone is always about the same size, but its location moves inward for smaller stars. 
A) The smaller (less massive)the star, the smaller and the closer- in the habitable zone. 
B) The smaller (less massive)the star, the larger and the closer- in the habitable zone. 
C) The smaller (less massive)the star, the larger and the farther- out the habitable zone. 
D) The habitable zone is always about the same size, but its location moves inward for smaller stars.

Question 16

Why is Europa considered a good candidate for the possible existence of life?

Accepted Answer

A) It has a thick atmosphere with a surface pressure greater than that on Earth. 
B) It is located within our Sun's habitable zone. 
C) The Galileo spacecraft found strange seasonal changes on its surface that look like they could be due to life. 
D) Strong evidence suggests that it has a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water. 
A) It has a thick atmosphere with a surface pressure greater than that on Earth. 
B) It is located within our Sun's habitable zone. 
C) The Galileo spacecraft found strange seasonal changes on its surface that look like they could be due to life. 
D) Strong evidence suggests that it has a deep, subsurface ocean of liquid water.

Question 17

Which of the following is not key evidence in support of the idea that all life today shares a common ancestor?

Accepted Answer

A) All life builds proteins from the same amino acids and uses ATP to store energy in cells. 
B) All life uses DNA and the same genetic code. 
C) We have identified fossils of the first life forms that ever existed on Earth. 
D) Mapping of gene sequences shows how life is all related. 
A) All life builds proteins from the same amino acids and uses ATP to store energy in cells. 
B) All life uses DNA and the same genetic code. 
C) We have identified fossils of the first life forms that ever existed on Earth. 
D) Mapping of gene sequences shows how life is all related.

Question 18

We have already launched a spacecraft bound for Alpha Centauri.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

In the Drake equation (Number of Civilizations = NHP × flife × fciv × fnow), we expect the term fciv to be small if _.

Accepted Answer

A) primitive life is common but intelligent life is rare 
B) most habitable planets never actually get life on them 
C) most civilizations destroy themselves within just a few hundred years of arising 
D) most of the civilizations that have ever existed are still out and about in the galaxy 
A) primitive life is common but intelligent life is rare 
B) most habitable planets never actually get life on them 
C) most civilizations destroy themselves within just a few hundred years of arising 
D) most of the civilizations that have ever existed are still out and about in the galaxy

Question 20

Which of the following best describes how the Drake equation is useful?

Accepted Answer

A) It allows us to calculate the masses of planets orbiting other stars. 
B) It helps us understand what we need to know in order to determine the likelihood of finding other civilizations. 
C) It tells us what wavelengths of light will be most useful to examine in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. 
D) It has allowed us to determine the number of civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy. 
A) It allows us to calculate the masses of planets orbiting other stars. 
B) It helps us understand what we need to know in order to determine the likelihood of finding other civilizations. 
C) It tells us what wavelengths of light will be most useful to examine in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. 
D) It has allowed us to determine the number of civilizations in the Milky Way Galaxy.

Which of the following is not a possible solution to the Fermi Paradox?

Why do some scientists think that Jupiter's existence may have been critical for life to evolve on Earth?

What evidence suggests that life was common on Earth within a billion years of its formation?

When we analyze whether a world is a possible home to life, the key thing we look for is .

Why might the presence of a giant planet be both good and bad for life on a terrestrial planet in another solar system?

What is the Fermi Paradox?

Briefly summarize current knowledge about the term NHP in the equation Number of Civilizations = NHP × flife × fcivilization × fnow.

We have sent several spacecraft on trajectories that will ultimately take them into interstellar space (Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, New Horizons). How long will it take these spacecraft to travel as far as the nearest stars?

How did oxygen (O₂)get into Earth's atmosphere?

Why are fossils of early life on Earth rarer than fossils of plants and animals from the past few hundred million years?

Where have scientists begun an active search for life beyond the Earth?

There is good evidence that life on Earth was thriving prior to 3.85 billion years ago.

Nearly all of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere was originally produced by photosynthesis in the leaves of trees that covered the continents 3.5 billion years ago.

One idea for interstellar spacecraft involves harnessing energy from nuclear bombs detonated in space.

In general, how does the size and location of a star's habitable zone depend on the star's mass?

Why is Europa considered a good candidate for the possible existence of life?

Which of the following is not key evidence in support of the idea that all life today shares a common ancestor?

We have already launched a spacecraft bound for Alpha Centauri.

In the Drake equation (Number of Civilizations = NHP × flife × fciv × fnow), we expect the term fciv to be small if _.

Which of the following best describes how the Drake equation is useful?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Filters

Exam 19: Life in the Universe

Which of the following is not a possible solution to the Fermi Paradox?

Why do some scientists think that Jupiter's existence may have been critical for life to evolve on Earth?

What evidence suggests that life was common on Earth within a billion years of its formation?

When we analyze whether a world is a possible home to life, the key thing we look for is .

Why might the presence of a giant planet be both good and bad for life on a terrestrial planet in another solar system?

What is the Fermi Paradox?

Briefly summarize current knowledge about the term NHP in the equation Number of Civilizations = NHP × flife × fcivilization × fnow.

We have sent several spacecraft on trajectories that will ultimately take them into interstellar space (Pioneer 10 and 11, Voyager 1 and 2, New Horizons). How long will it take these spacecraft to travel as far as the nearest stars?

How did oxygen (O₂)get into Earth's atmosphere?

Why are fossils of early life on Earth rarer than fossils of plants and animals from the past few hundred million years?

Where have scientists begun an active search for life beyond the Earth?

There is good evidence that life on Earth was thriving prior to 3.85 billion years ago.

Nearly all of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere was originally produced by photosynthesis in the leaves of trees that covered the continents 3.5 billion years ago.

One idea for interstellar spacecraft involves harnessing energy from nuclear bombs detonated in space.

In general, how does the size and location of a star's habitable zone depend on the star's mass?

Why is Europa considered a good candidate for the possible existence of life?

Which of the following is not key evidence in support of the idea that all life today shares a common ancestor?

We have already launched a spacecraft bound for Alpha Centauri.

In the Drake equation (Number of Civilizations = NHP × flife × fciv × fnow), we expect the term fciv to be small if _.

Which of the following best describes how the Drake equation is useful?

A Modern View of the Universe

Discovering the Universe for Yourself

The Science of Astronomy

Making Sense of the Universe: Understanding Motion, Energy, and Gravity

Light: the Cosmic Messenger

Formation of the Solar System

Earth and the Terrestrial Worlds

Jovian Planet System

Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets: Their Nature, Orbits, and Impacts

Other Planetary Systems: the New Science of Distant Worlds

Our Star

Surveying the Stars

Star Stuff

The Bizarre Stellar Graveyard

Our Galaxy

A Universe of Galaxies

The Birth of the Universe

Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Fate of the Universe

Filters